Asceneuron expands scientific Advisory Board with world leading experts in neurodegenerative diseases

Lausanne, SWITZERLAND and San Francisco, CA, USA, 6 March 2024 - Asceneuron SA, a clinical stage biotech company dedicated to targeting the root causes of neurodegenerative diseases, today announces the appointments of neurodegenerative disease experts to its Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). These include Dr Samantha Budd-Haeberlein, PhD, Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD, Rik Ossenkoppele, PhD, and Christopher van Dyck, MD.

Asceneuron is advancing development of its lead asset ASN51 into Phase II clinical development targeting Alzheimer’s disease. This compound is a potential best-in-class, orally administered, OGA inhibitor targeting tau aggregation. The Scientific Advisory Board members have vast experience in clinical trial design and biomarkers and will help support this promising program through Phase II clinical development.

ASN51 has demonstrated its potential as a pathbreaker to halt disease progression in tau-mediated neurodegenerative diseases with its safe and well tolerated profile and sustained high central enzyme occupancy. In the field of Alzheimer’s disease, ASN51 has the potential to change the treatment paradigm for patients when it commences a Phase II clinical trial in the second half of 2024.

Ryan Schubert, Senior Vice President Research and Development at Asceneuron, said: “There is strong momentum in the Alzheimer’s disease field, driven by recent progress and developments. This is an exciting stage for Asceneuron as tau is now clinically validated as a target. Our once daily, orally administered anti-tau O-GlcNAcase inhibitor, ASN51, has the potential to be best in class based on its unique pharmacology. I am honored to have these stellar neurodegenerative experts join our SAB at a fundamental time of development. Their deep knowledge and expertise will be invaluable as we move ASN51 into Phase II development.”

Dr Samantha Budd Haeberlein, PhD, is an esteemed figure in neurological drug development with international experience at research and executive levels in the discovery and development of therapeutics and biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases. She was previously Senior Vice President and Head of Neurodegeneration at Biogen, where she led and co-led the development of two FDA approved treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, ADUHELM and LEQEMBI. Samantha currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer at Enigma Biomedical Group, developing solutions for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, is on the Board of Directors at Vigil Neuro, and is a Senior Advisor to the ICG Life Sciences Investment team.

Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD, is a decorated researcher in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. Henrik is a Professor of Neurochemistry at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and University College London (UCL), UK, and is a Clinical Chemist at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden. He is Head of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry at the University of Gothenburg, leads the UK DRI Fluid Biomarker Laboratory at UCL, and is a Key Member of the Hong Kong Center for neurodegenerative diseases. He is also a Visiting Professor in the UW Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.
Henrik has developed and researched new diagnostic tests and new preclinical models for Alzheimer’s disease and has been recognised for his influential discoveries as a recipient of numerous prizes such as the Erik K. Fernström Prize for Junior Scientists and the Inga Sandeborg Prize for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease.

Rik Ossenkoppele, PhD, is a renowned academic in neuroscience, working at the intersection of neuroimaging, biomarkers, and cognition in Alzheimer’s disease. Rik is an Associate Professor in Translational Neuroscience and is a Principal Investigator both at the Alzheimer center Amsterdam of the Amsterdam UMC and at Lund University in Sweden. Rik received the European Grand Prix for Research on the Foundation of Alzheimer’s Disease in 2019, the Young Investigator Research award from Alzheimer Nederland in 2020, and the Queen Silvia Research prize in 2021.

Christopher van Dyck, MD, is a leading clinical researcher focusing on neuroimaging and therapeutic studies of Alzheimer’s disease and brain aging. He is a Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neuroscience and serves as Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Unit, the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, and the Division of Aging and Geriatric Psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine.
Alongside his academic positions, Christopher has extensive experience in leading and participating in more than 100 therapeutic trials in Alzheimer’s disease, which include prodromal/ preclinical and brain aging stages. He serves on the Steering and Executive Committee and Co-Chairs the Protocol Evaluation Committee at the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC). His extensive research has culminated in the lead authorship of the publication of the first disease-modifying treatment for AD (lecanemab) in 2023.

For further information, please contact:

Asceneuron
Barbara Angehrn Pavik, CEO
Sandra Millet, Head of Operations
Email: asce-contact @ asceneuron.com

Optimum Strategic Communications
Zoe Bolt
Tel: +44 (0) 20 388 296 21 
Email: asceneuron @ optimumcomms.com

About Asceneuron
Asceneuron is a clinical stage biotech company focused on the development of orally bioavailable therapeutics for debilitating neurodegenerative disorders with high unmet medical need. The company’s pipeline reflects its ambition and commitment to developing treatments for a wide a range of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, as well as orphan tauopathies. Asceneuron has two clinical-stage small molecule O-GlcNAcase inhibitors in development for the treatment of proteinopathies: OGA inhibitor ASN90 (licensed to Ferrer Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and a potential best-in-class OGA inhibitor, ASN51 for Alzheimer’s disease. Asceneuron is backed by a renowned syndicate of investors consisting of Sofinnova Partners, M Ventures, SR One, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc. (JJDC) and Kurma Partners. For more information, please visit
 www.asceneuron.com .